Page 45 Review by Jonathan
"Sequestered in my lab... there was a beauty in the self-imposed loneliness.
"And when it was too much there was Rebecca.
"Wedding vows... more rules I wouldn't follow.
"Built my anarchist league of scientists on reason and empiricism.
"No tolerance for blind obedience, financial motivation, ego, or politicking for station.
"Built on one rule... there is no authority but yourself.
"After a lifetime of powerlessness and insecurity, opposition to authority forced me to have faith in myself.
"To trust my own judgement... to prove, motivated solely by the fire within... a self-educated main could master the laws of the universe.
"To prove that there is only one type of person capable of breaking down such barriers...
"...an anarchist."
Rick 'The Mindbender' Remender unleashes the unfettered power of his weird imagination upon us in this surrealist science fiction adventure. I do like Rick's work, really enjoyed his sci-fi-esque take on UNCANNY X-FORCE and semi-quasi sequel UNCANNY AVENGERS, which, I think, is on the verge of concluding. He takes no prisoners when it comes to comprehension - you of him, that is - which has possibly reduced his readership numbers on the Marvel front, vol 2 onwards of UNCANNY AVENGERS (when it really gets going properly) being too self-referentially complex and convoluted for some, for example, but it has certainly bolstered his core fanbase who like the cut of his jib. The man can write a damn good yarn.
Now, on Image, casting the capes and tights aside in exchange for spacesuits and blasters, he's commenced what instantly has the feel of a pulp classic of the genre. Drama, humour, mortal peril and crazy technology, it's a nice blend of ridiculous which blasts into life right from the first page. Grant McKay, leader of the Anarchistic League of Scientists, who let's be honest, sound like a complete bunch of nutters straightaway, has had a slight, if unsurprising, accident with his bleeding edge Black Science technology. Cast adrift in the endless realms of the Eververse, amidst alien worlds so weird it makes your head hurt - giant toads, that's all I'm saying - can he lead his team home? This title feels like it is in part inspired by the classic Weird Science and Weird Fantasy comics, whether they are something Rick has an affection for, I have absolutely no idea. I am pretty sure he is having great fun writing this, though, that is gleefully apparent.
With Matteo Scalera on art duties, a man who rivals Sean Murphy for drawing the most pointed proboscises in all of comicdom, there are myriad panels I would swear Murphy had drawn if I didn't know otherwise, and a cerise and cyan-tinged colour palette which will seem not entirely unfamiliar to UNCANNY X-FORCE and UNCANNY AVENGERS readers - something I am starting to wonder if Remender has some serious input on, actually - this helps give the book a gritty, stylish retro-modern look.
